Reel type apparatus for the liquid treatment of yarn



United States Patent REEL TYPE APPARATUS FOR THE LIQUID TREATMENT OF YARN Edward T. Jones, In, Rock Hill, S. C., assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application August 31, 1954, Serial No. 453,382

Claims. (Cl. 68'-205) It is an object of this invention to provide a novel apparatus for the liquid treatment of materials travelling in contact with rolls.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a One preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a fragmentary view of the apparatus in side elevation,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numerals 11 and 12 designate, respectively, top and bottom skew rolls of a yarn storage and advancing reel, which rolls are both driven in the same direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. A yarn 13 is supplied continuously to said rolls 11, 12 and travels over the top roll and under the bottom roll, forming a plurality of laterally spaced convolutions, or helix, around said rolls, which helix travels from theleft side to the right, or discharge, side of the reel, in a manner .well known to the art. As the helix of yarn 13 proceeds along the rolls 11, 12, a plurality of treating liquids are applied thereto, as by means of sprinkler headers 14 and 16. Thus, when the yarn being supplied to the rolls 11, 12 is a cellulose ester, such as cellulose acetate, an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide' may be applied to the yarn by the sprinkler header 14 for the purpose of saponifying said cellulose ester, while water may be applied by the sprinkler header 16 for the purpose of washing the sodium hydroxide solution from the saponified yarn.

In order to prevent the uncontrolled mixing on the rolls 11, 12 of the different liquids applied to the yarn 13, the rolls are divided into axially spaced treating zones, i. e. a saponification zone 17 and a washing zone 18, in any suitable manner, as by means of barriers 19 and 21, each comprising two rows of grooves 22 which are inclined to axes of said rolls. Thus, the grooves 22 may be evenly spaced about the rolls 11, 12 and may be inclined at an angle of about 30 to 60, preferably about 45, to the axes of said rolls, or, more accurately, to the generating elements of the surfaces of said rolls. The bottom surface of each groove 22 may be either arcuate or straight in the direction of the length of said groove and the grooves of adjacent rows may be staggered, as shown in the drawing, or aligned. It is to be understood that other barriers may be employed. For example, barriers may be formed by treating thedesired portions of the rolls 11, 12 to make them repellant to aqueous liquids, as by coating such portions with polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, or polytrifiuoromonochloroethylene, the un- Patented Nov. 11,1958

coated portions of the rolls being, of course, easily wetted by said aqueous liquids. This coating of the portions of the rolls to form barriers thereon is conveniently carried out by applying a film of the desired coating material to the desired portions of the smooth surfaces of the ro ls 11, 12, preferably after first applying a suitable undercoating to said portions, and then fusing said film to said rolls by the application of heat.

The apparatus of this invention is provided with wiper blades, 24 mounted on a blade support 26 which extends axially of and passes between the rolls 11, 12. The blade support 26 is adjustably mounted on a fixed bar 27, as by means of screws 28 (Fig. l). The blades 23, 24 arepreferably made of rubber, either natural or synthetic, or other similar flexible chemical-resistant material, and are secured in any suitable manner, as by clamping with a metal strip, to the blade support 26. Each blade 23, 24 extends for almost the entire length of the corresponding treating zone 17, 18 and is arranged so that the whole length of the upper edge of said blade rests against and wipes the lower surface of the top roll 11, thus removing liquid from said top roll as said top roll rotates. The liquid so removed flows, under the influence of gravity, along the top surfaces of the blades 23, 24.

and onto the upper surface of the bottom roll 12. The lower edges 29, 31 of the blades 23, 24, respectively, are serrated evenly so as to distribute the flowing liquid uniformly over the face of the bottom roll 12 and into contact with.the yarn 13 passing over said bottom roll with a minimum of disturbance to said yarn.

The rubber blades 23, 24 are uniform in cross section, flat and rectangular when in relaxed positionbut as installed are bent due to their engagement with both the blade support 26 and the lower portion of the top roll 11. The top of the blade support 26 is formed in a smooth curve at 32 to aid in maintaining the blades in even con tact with the top roll 11. The blade support 26 extends substantially parallel to the lower roll 12 (see Fig. 2). Thus, the serrated edges 29, 31 of the blades 23, 24, re-

spectively, engage the bottom roll 12 along a line parallel to the axis of the bottom roll. Since the axes of the top and bottom rolls are askew, the lines along which the upper edges of the blades 23, 24 engage said top rolls will not be parallel to the axis of said top roll. However, the spans of the blades 23, 24 between the top of the blade support 26 and the upper edges of said blades are sufficiently great to insure that the flexible blades will maintain their upper edges in close contact with the top roll 11. The blades 23, 24 are so mounted as to be out of contact with the grooves 22 making up the barriers 19, 21, while the portion of the blade support 26 which is adjacent to said barriers 19, 21 has notches in its top and bottom edges, as shown by referencenumerals 33, 34. These notches serve to prevent liquid from running along said washing zone 18, and vice versa.

In the washing zone 18 there is provided an auxiliary wiper blade 36, which like the blades 23, 24 is preferably made of rubber. This auxiliary blade 36 is mounted on any suitable support (not shown) and is situated in back of the blade 24, as viewed in Fig. 1, with its upper end wiping against the lower portion of the top roll 11 (see Figs. 2 and 3). At least a portion of the auxiliary blade 36 extends closer to the barrier 19 than the edge 37 of the blade 24; accordingly, that part of the top roll 11 which is between said barrier and said edge 37 is engaged solely by said auxiliary blade. Thus, the auxiliary blade I 36 serves to remove the caustic saponification liquor which is immediately adjacent to the barrier 19. This liquor has been carried over by the yarn 13 into the left hand portion (as viewed in Fig. l) of the washing zone 18 and has been partly diluted by the wash water applied by the 3 sprinkler 16. The diluted saponification liquor removed by the auxiliary blade 36 flows over the upper surface of said auxiliary blade and is led to the saponification zone 17 by a tilted trough 38 fixed to the lower end of said auxiliary blade. From the lower end of the trough 38 the diluted saponification liquor falls onto the upper portion of the bottom roll 12 in said saponification zone. The saponification liquor on the bottom roll 12 drops E said bottom roll into a trough 39 from which it is recycled to the sprinkler head 14 through a pipe 41. Fresh concentrated caustic soda is added to the recycling liquid through an inlet 42.

The effective width of the auxiliary blade 36 and therefore the amount of liquid transferred thereby from the washing zone 18to the saponification zone 17 maybe varied by adjusting the position of the blade 24 on the support 26 so as to vary the extent to which the blade 24 and the auxiliary blade 36 overlap. Thus, in the area where the blade 24 and the auxiliary blade 36 overlap, the blade 24 will remove most or all of the liquid from the surface of the roll before such liquid can come in contact with the auxiliary blade 36, as will be evident from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 3, taking into account the fact that the bottom of the roll 11 is moving (in Fig. 3) from left to right. Accordingly, the auxiliary blade 36 will be substantiallyineflective where it overlaps the blade 24. Adjustment of the blade 24 on the support 26, to increase the effective width of the blade 24, may be effected in any suitable manner. For example, the blade 24 may be provided with threaded pins 43 which project from the lower surface of said blade through slots 44 in the support, which slots extend substantially parallel to the axes of the rolls 11, 12, and the blade 24 may be clamped to the support 26 by means of nuts 46 engaging said pins.

By adjusting the position of the blade 24, the system for circulating the sapo'nification liquid may be kept in balance. That is, when the rate of supply of concentrated sodium hydroxide through the inlet 42 and the rate of supply of wash water through the sprinkler head 16 are kept constant, the position of the blade 24 may be so adjusted that the net amount of liquid withdrawn from the saponification zone 17 by the movement of the wet yarn 13 out of said zone is exactly equaled by the sum of the amount of liquid returned to said zone by the action of the auxiliary blade 36 and the amount added at the inlet 42. In addition, the auxiliary blade 36 prevents the loss of an excessive amount of sodium acetate from the system with the wash water.

1. In an apparatus for treating a material with a liquid,

the combination of a plurality of adjacent rotatable rolls extending in the same direction for supporting said material and means for supplying liquid to said material on said rolls, a wiper element having an elongated upper surface resiliently engaging one of said rolls along a line generally parallel to the axis of said roll for wiping liquid from the surface of said engaged roll and having an elongated lower surface engaging another of said rolls along a'line general ly parallel to the axis of said roll for transferring the liquid wiped from a given portion of said first roll to the surfatile of a generally corresponding portion of said other ro a 2. In an apparatus for treating a material with a liquid, the combination of a plurality of rotatable adjacent rolls extending in the same direction for supporting said material and means for supplying liquid to said material on said rolls, a wiper element extending between said rolls generally longitudinally of the axes of rotation thereof, said wiper element having an elongated upper surface re- 4 siliently engaging one of said rolls for wiping liquid from the surface of said engaged roll and having an extended lower surface engaging another of said rolls for transferring the liquid wiped from a given portion of said first roll to the surface of a generally corresponding portion of said other roll.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said lower surface is serratedr 4. In an apparatus for treating a material with a liquid, the combination of a plurality of adjacent rotatable rolls extending in the same direction for supporting said material and means for supplying liquid to said material on said rolls, a rubber wiper blade extending between said rolls generally longitudinally of the axis of rotation thereof, said blade having an elongated upper surface resiliently engaging one of said rolls for wiping liquid from the surface of said engaged roll and having an elongated lower surface engaging another of said rolls for transferring the liquid wiped from a given portion of said first roll to the surface of a generally corresponding portion of said other roll.

5. Apparatus for the processing of yarn comprising a plurality of elongated rotatable adjacent rolls extending in the same direction for receiving a yarn and constructed and arranged to advance said yarn around said rolls longitudinally of the axes of rotation of said rolls on rotation of said rolls, means for supplying liquid to said material on said rolls, and a wiper element extending between said rolls generally longitudinally of the axes of rotation thereof, said wiper element having an elongated upper surface resiliently engaging one of said rolls for wiping liquid from the surface of said engaged roll and having an elongated lower surface engaging another of said rolls for transferring the liquid wiped from a given portion of said first roll to the surface of a generally corresponding portion of said other roll.

6. Apparatus for the processing of yarn comprising a plurality of elongated rotatable adjacent rolls extending in the same direction for receiving a yarn and constructed and arranged to advance said yarn around said rolls longitudinally of the axes of rotation of said rolls on rotation of said rolls, the axes of rotation of at least two of said rolls being askew, means for supplying liquid to said material on said rolls, and a wiper element extending between said skew rolls generally longitudinally of the axes 'of rotation thereof, said wiper element having an elongated upper surface resiliently engaging one of said skew rolls for wiping liquid from the surface of said engaged roll and having an elongated lower surface engaging another of said skew rolls for transferring the liquid wiped from a given portion of said first skew roll to the surface of a generally corresponding portion of said other skew roll.

7. Apparatus for the processing of yarn, comprising a plurality of elongated rotatable adjacent rolls extending in the same direction for receiving a yarn and constructed and arranged to advance said yarn around said rolls longitudinally of the axes of rotationof said rolls on rotation of said rolls, and comprising an upper roll and a lower roll, the axes of said upper and lower rolls being askew, means for supplying liquid to said mate- 1 rial on said rolls, and a rubber wiper blade extending between said upper roll and said lower roll generally longitudinally of the axes of rotation thereof, said blade having an elongated upper surface resiliently engaging the lower portion of said upper roll for wiping liquid from the surface of said upper roll and having an elongated lower surface engaging the upper portion of said lower roll for transferring the liquid wiped from a given portion of said upper roll to the surface of a generally corresponding portion of said lower roll.

rolls longitudinally of the axis of rotation of said rolls on rotation of said rolls, barrier means for dividing each of said rolls into a plurality of zones along the lengths of said rolls and for preventing liquid from flowing on said rolls between adjacent zones, means for applying different liquids to adjacent zones on said rolls, and a plurality of wiper elements in said adjacent zones, each of said wiper elements having an elongated upper surface resiliently engaging one of said rolls at one of said zones for wiping liquid from the surface of said engaged roll and having an elongated lower surface engaging another of said rolls at a corresponding zone thereof for transferring the liquid wiped from a given portion of said first roll to the surface of a generally corresponding portion of said other roll.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 comprising a support for said wiper elements extending between said rolls generally longitudinally of the axes of rotation of said rolls.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 in which at least one edge of said support is notched to prevent liquid flowing from a wiper element receiving liquid from one of said zones to a wiper element receiving liquid from an adjacent zone.

11. Apparatus for the processing of yarn, comprising a plurality of elongated rotatable adjacent rolls extending in the same direction for receiving a yarn and constructed and arranged to advance said yarn around said rolls longitudinally if the axes of rotation of said rolls on rotation of said ro ls, barrier means for dividing each of said rolls into a plr rality of zones along the lengths of said rolls and for preventing liquid from flowing on said rolls between adjacent zones, means for applying different liquids to adjacent zones on said rolls, means for Wiping the surface of one of said rolls in one of said zones to remove liquid therefrom and means for transferring said removed liquid to the adjacent zone previously engaged by said yarn.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 in which said means for wiping is constructed and arranged to remove only the liquid immediately adjacent to the barrier between said adjacent zones.

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which there are means for wiping the surface of one of said rolls in one of said zones to remove liquid therefrom and means for transferring said removed liquid to the adjacent zone prevously engaged by said yarn, said means for wiping being constructed and arranged to remove only the liquid immediately adjacent to the barrier between said adjacent zones.

14. Apparatus for the processing of yarn and the treatment thereof with a plurality of liquids, comprising a pair of elongated rotatable adjacent skew rolls extending in the same direction for receiving a yarn and constructed and arranged to advance said yarn around said rolls longitudinally of the axes of rotation of said rolls, said pair of rolls comprising a top roll and a bottom roll, barrier means on each of said rolls for dividing said apparatus into a plurality of zones transversely of said rolls and for preventing liquid from flowing on said rolls between ad- 1 the surface of said top roll and having a lower serrated surface engaging the upper portion of said bottom roll for transferring the liquid wiped from said top roll to the surface of said bottom roll, and means for wiping the surface of one of said rolls in one of said zones to remove liquid therefrom and means for transferring said removed liquid to the adjacent zone previously engaged by said yarn, said means for wiping being constructed and arranged to remove only the liquid immediately adjacent to the barrier between said adjacent zones.

15. Apparatus for the processing of yarn comprising a plurality of elongated rotatable adjacent rolls extending in the same direction for receiving a yarn and constructed and arranged to advance said yarn around said rolls longitudinally of the axes of rotation of said rolls on rotation of said rolls, barrier means for dividing each of said rolls into a plurality of zones along the lengths of said rolls and for preventing liquid from flowing an said rolls between adjacent zones, means for applying different liquids to adjacent zones. on said rolls, means for wiping the surface of one of said rolls in one of said zones for removing liquid therefrom, said wiping means being spaced, longitudinaly of said roll, from the respective barrier means, auxiliary means for wiping the surface of one of said rolls in one of said zones, said auxiliary wiping means being so placed that it acts on a portion of the roll overlapping that acted on by the first wiping means and also on a portion of the roll between the respective barrier means and the end of said first wiping means, and also being so placed that it acts on the roll after the first wiping means has acted on the roll whereby during the rotation of said roll a portion of the surface of said roll, spaced from the respective barrier means, is acted on by said first wiping means and then by said auxiliary wiping means while that portion of said roll adjacent to the respective barrier means is acted on solely by sa d auxiliary wiping means, means for transferring the liquid removed from said roll by said auxiliary wiping means to the adjacent zone previously engaged by said yarn, and means for mounting said first wiping means adjustably longitudinally of the roll whereby, by adjustment of the position of said first wiping means, the size of the portion of the roll acted on solely by said auxiliary wiping means can be varied so that the amount of liquid transferred to said last-mentioned adjacent zone can be adjusted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,866,153 Dreyfus et al. July 5, 1932 2,002,994 Hartmann May 28, 1935 2,142,909 vMoncrieff et al. Jan. 3, 1939 2,416,535 Naumann Feb. 25, 1947 2,608,850 Fry Sept. 2, 1952 2,634,597 McDermott Apr. 14, 1953 

